Professor Stephen Small returns to Liverpool to launch Black History Month with a special discussion of his acclaimed new book, Black Liverpool: ‘the real thing’. West African, West Indian and Afro-American culture at the end of the twentieth century.
The 1970s saw giant waves of cultural and artistic creativity, resourcefulness and vision from individuals and organisations in Liverpool 8. The L8 community defiantly refused to accept the silence and denial around the city’s massive involvement in the slave trade and slavery; they refused to accept the silence and denial around how Liverpool exploited the people and lands of West Africa during slavery and imperialism. They refused to accept the lies and contempt for Africa and Africans inflicted upon them in Liverpool schools and schoolbooks. In other words, they refused to let them colonise their minds. Instead, they used their initiative, determination and perseverance, and they reached out to Afro-Americans, West Indians and (West) Africans, for motivation, inspiration, consciousness and self-respect.
Community elders shared insights into the truth about Liverpool’s role in slavery and imperialism. L8 residents listened to soul and funk music, to reggae, Calypso and West African music. They watched Shaft and Superfly, The Harder They Come and Rockers, and read books by Angela Davis, Huey P Newton and Walter Rodney. Some organisations and individuals highlighted how Black women were at the forefront of so many activities. Reggae music, the Rastafari movement, and L8 reggae sound systems enriched our lives with music, knowledge and faith. Visitors from America, Africa and the Caribbean came to the city to share knowledge and insights; and L8 residents visited America, the West Indies and nations across Africa to make connections and raise awareness. And the distinctive African presence in the city became more and more visible.
In this presentation – based on his recently published book – Black Liverpool: ‘the real thing’. West African, West Indian and Afo-American culture at the end of the twentieth century – Professor Small brings to life the memories and achievements of the L8 community; and highlights some of the people and organisations that made them happen. Professor Small’s book draws on interviews with over seventy people and on information from documents and reports produced by the organisations themselves. This is a story that has never been told in full before. It is Liverpool 8’s legacy. And it is a stark reminds that no history of Black Britain is complete without a history of Black Liverpool.
Date: October 1st
Time: 7pm
Venue: Kuumba Imani Millenium Centre
Tickets £5
[Photo credit Dave Clay]